A day after 33 new speed cameras were announced for New Zealand roads, a curious piece of motoring history has surfaced in the UK.
The car in question is a 1896 Arnold Benz Motor Carriage owned by a Mr Walter Arnold. In late 1896 Arnold left his house and stepped into his motor carriage.
Little did he know, he was also about to drive straight into the history books as the first person to receive a speeding ticket.
Arnold and his 1896 Arnold Benz were caught by law enforcement travelling four-times the speed limit, at a dizzying 8mph, before being pulled over by a policeman on a bicycle.
The law of the time required all cars stick to a limit of 2mph and that they be led by a man on foot waving a red flag at all times. Arnold was doing neither.
As a result Walter was convicted of speeding and forced to pay a shilling fine plus costs.
One year latter a new Locomotives Act was introduced. This did away with the need for a red flag bearer and the 2mph speed limit, that was raised to 14mph.
In celebration of the new law, cars raced from London to Brighton in a so-called Emancipation Run, an event Arnold and his motor carriage competed in.
The run still exists to this day in the form of the Royal Automobile Club’s annual Veteran Car Run, where pre-1905 cars recreate the journey from London to Brighton.
The 1986 Arnold Benz Motor Carriage will be one of the star attractions at the annual Concourse of Elegance (above) in England. An event initially set-up as a way for posh British motoring fans to celebrate the Queens diamond jubilee.
The event has created a passionate following and continues to this day, raising 'significant sums' for charity in the process.